Automatic railroad signal and alarm



(No Model.)

Patented Aug. .7, 1883.

. WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

STATES UNITE HENRY G. JONES, OF DARBY, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTGMATIC RAILROAD SIGNAL AND ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 282,730, dated August'7', 1883.

Application filed July 19, 188:1.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. J oNEs, of Darby, in the county of Delawareand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved AutomaticRailroad Signal and Alarm, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

My invention relates to an automatic apparatus whereby a signal may bedisplayed and a gong sounded at a railroad crossing or station to givewarning of an approaching train. It can also be applied to a system ofblock-signals, whereby the engine can throw automatically a red signal,which will stay red for a given time, then change to blue or othersuitable color, and finally white.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved automaticsignaling apparatus for railroad crossings, stations, and other placesthat will give timely warning of the approach of trains, and thus serveto prevent accidents, all as hereinafter fully described.

Reference is to be hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is partly a side elevation and partly a sectional elevation ofmy improved signaling apparatus. Fig. 2 is an elevation of some of theworking-gear on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a detail in plan view.

In the drawings, a represents'a treadle, arranged parallel with therails b and mounted on a pivot, 0, within a suitable box, cl, (dottech)which has a slot, 6, for the arm f, projecting from the cow-catcher orother part of the locomotive, to run in over treadle a and depress it,and the spring 9, which in the normal condition holds the treadle withits free end above slot 0 of the box for being so depressed by arm. f.From said free end of the treadle a cord or wire, h, extends alongguide-pulleys 2' any suitable dis tance through pipes j or other guardsto the signal-post k at the crossing, station, or other place where thesignal Z is to be placed. This cord extends upwardlin the post and hasapitch-chain section ,m, passing over a pulley, a, an d suspending aweight, 0, thereon. From the weight a cord, extends down around theguide-pulley q, thence up over the pulleys r and s in the signal box orhousing 1, where it suspends the (No model.)

aforesaid signal Zfor dropping it down in sight by the action of the armfon' the treadle when the train approaches, and raising it up again outof sight by the spring g after the .train has passed, the weight 0pulling up the cord h and letting the signal fall when the treadle isdepressed by the arm f, and the spring 9 raising the weight, and alsothe signal, after the arm f has passed beyond the treadle.

In order to delay the rise of the signal and cause the gong to be rung asufficient length of time for the slowest train to reach the crossing orstation, I have arranged the fan-regulator w, together with the gong a,on the post k, and mechanism for retarding the action of the spring 9and operating the gong-hammer x as of a driving-wheel, y, so as to turnloosely thereon, and let the wheel rest when the weight 0 falls; butwhen the spring begins to pull the weight up again a pawl, z, (dotted,)on the pulley 02 engages a ratchet, a, (dotted,) on wheel y, and sets init motion, and it revolves the fan w at high speed through the medium ofthe multiplying train of gearing connected therewith, and the wheel b,having tappet-pins c, and to gether with spring (1, operates thegong-hammer 00. By the resisting-power of the fan the ascent of thespring 9 may be delayed more or less, according to the capacity of thefan and the speed by which it is operated:

The arm f is pivoted to the heel of the cowcatcher or other part of thelocomotive by a bolt, 6, and" arranged in a guard, f, so that when theengine backs and the arm strikes the high end of the treadle cit willswing sufficiently on its pivot to escape from the treadle.

A spring, 9, is attached tothe arm and to some part, h, of thelocomotive, so as to swing follows: The pulley n is mounted on the shaftit back to its normal positon after passing the treadle.

It will be seen'that with a treadle of suitable length for gradual andeasy action the arm f will work the apparatus without any shocks or jarsby simply slackening the cord 1) and dropping the weight 0.

The box (Z may be extended a suitable length beyond the treadle, so asto protect it from snow, 8:0.

- By coloring the signal in red, blue, and white stripes, and arrangingthe housing to show the IOO signal through a slot, the signal will showthe difl'erent colors successively, as before stated, by arranging themachine to run-slower.

I am aware that railway-signals have been made with a treadle to beacted upon by the approaching train, runninggear, a fan,weight, andconnecting-wire, operating in a manner similar to mine, and I do notclaim these individual features, broadly; but

I claim 1. The combination of the treadle a, cord 11, spring g, pulleyn, Weight 0, cord 12, and signal Z, the treadle being arranged to beoperated by an attachment of the locomotive, and the weight and signalbeing suspended in the signal-post, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the signal Z, dis-' playing a sign of warning,the weight 0, pulley n, the suspending-cords,the treadle, its spring,and the connections therewith, of the gong and its connections, operatedby the same treadle and connections, substantially as described, wherebya sound of alarm is made to call attention to the sign of warning.

3. The retarding-fan and its gear-train,in combination with the signalZ, its supportingcord 1), the weight 0, attached thereto, the pulley at,supporting the same and communicating with the gear-train, and the chainm, communicating with the treadle, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

4. The combination of treadle a, spring 9, slotted box cl, andlthe armf, attached to the locomotive, substantially as described.

5. The arm f, pivoted to the locomotive and 3 5 provided with spring 9and arranged in a guard, f, in combination with the treadle a and springsubstantially as described.

1 HENRY G. JONES.

Vitn esses D. S. LINDSAY, STACY J oNEs.

